HYPR NALU PADDLE BOARD REVIEW | KAIMANA 9’6
HYPR NALU
PADDLE BOARD REVIEW
| KAIMANA 9’6 REVIEW.
HYPR NALU PADDLE BOARD REVIEW | KAIMANA 9’6
VERDICT
The Kaimana is a unique, great looking board that can only have come from Hypr Nalu – the golden dragon graphics are just so good. The board’s individuality goes much deeper with the chined rail and deep double concave producing a set of bottom contours you won’t find anywhere else. This is a fast board that you can actively pump to generate great down the line speed; it reminds us in performance of the esoteric hull surfboards in that it can transform tiny running surf into racey walls.
OVERVIEW
If you’re not familiar with Hypr Nalu, there’s a lot to take in when you first behold the beautiful Kaimana. The balsa effect nose and tail block and Chinese dragon prowling over the midnight deck first catch the eye but the deep double concave running nose to tail and chined rail hold your attention. The template has a bladey, foil look to to it rather than a beefed up shortboard. The deck rocker profile looks quite flat with the nose and tail lift being affected by an elegant tapering of the rails. A set of five Futures fins and the ultra-reliable Hypr Nalu leash round out the accessories.
BRAND CLAIM
Beautiful veneer combination belies the functionality of this awesome board. Some of our customers want to use it as a piece of art, but it is so functional and SUPER light. Our Kaimana are some of the lightest boards produced. Awesome surfing board but also great for just paddling around. Pointed nose gives manoeuvrability. Double concaves on the bottom give the board speed.
PERFORMANCE
So, how do the bottom contours of the Kaimana translate to the water? First up, it punches through waves and chop well, however the low nose means it really does punch through rather than over a wave when paddling out. The tail is swept in so don’t expect fool-proof stability but with 150 litres the Kaimana is comfortable for larger, surf-experienced paddlers. But the excitement comes when the Kaimana starts to plane. This board paddles in great thanks to its rail-like tracking, and when you shift your weight to the centre after the bottom turn it’s really fast on the wave face and very easy to pump to get speed (feeling like a much smaller board in this respect and this is probably down to the really deep double concave). The flatter rocker-line just jets water through the concaves to the fins and it feels like a glider / hull type surfboard. The Kaimana loves clean low-tide sandbars and reeling points and from knee-high plus you’re really flying. Think high lines, linear speed and racing sections rather than disco-twisting like you would on a stubby type board. This is a unique board in looks and performance; paddlers with surf experience looking for something more interesting and refined under their feet should check it out.